Breast Cancer Disparities and Innovations: A Focus on Kosovo

Mary D Chamberlin; Dafina Ademi Islami; Richard J Barth Jr; Shqiptar Demaci

doi:10.1016/j.hoc.2023.06.002

Breast Cancer Disparities and Innovations: A Focus on Kosovo

Hematol Oncol Clin North Am. 2024 Feb;38(1):199-207. doi: 10.1016/j.hoc.2023.06.002. Epub 2023 Jul 11.

Authors

Mary D Chamberlin¹, Dafina Ademi Islami², Richard J Barth Jr³, Shqiptar Demaci⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medicine /Hematology-Oncology, Dartmouth College of Medicine and Dartmouth Cancer Center at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, USA.
² Oncology Clinic, University Clinical Center of Kosovo, Prishtina, Kosovo. Electronic address: dafinaademi@hotmail.com.
³ Department of Surgery, Section of General Surgery, Dartmouth College of Medicine and Dartmouth Cancer Center at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, USA.
⁴ Department of Thoracic Surgery, University Clinical Center of Kosovo, Prishtina, Kosovo.

PMID: 37442675
DOI: 10.1016/j.hoc.2023.06.002

Abstract

Due to the current limited capacity to provide digital mammography-based screening to all women, and the lack of modern surgical oncology methods, mastectomy is still the predominant form of surgical treatment in many parts of the world. As such there is little incentive to detect breast cancer earlier and significant fear of treatment and outcomes continues to contribute to late presentations. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy, pre-operative breast MRI and surgical mapping techniques can combine forces to allow for more women to be treated with breast conservation, decrease fear of treatment and improve outcomes.

Keywords: Breast cancer disparities; Breast conservation; Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs); Surgical innovations.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Breast Neoplasms* / diagnosis
Breast Neoplasms* / epidemiology
Breast Neoplasms* / therapy
Female
Humans
Kosovo
Mammography
Mastectomy / methods
Neoadjuvant Therapy